14 DAY TRIAL // Normally, gaming notebooks are more solid and wider than other laptops, with a screen and overall frame big enough for the manufacturer to pack as much graphical and computing performance as it can. While gamers generally have no problem with, or even prefer, a larger screen, the Alienware M11x laptop aims to gain the title of the "most powerful sub 12-inches gaming laptop in the universe."
Unveiled at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show, the Alienware M11x is designed as a portable, small-sized PC with gaming capabilities. By small, we mean to say that the product will not be much larger than a netbook (it has a screen of 11.6 inches), even though its performance capabilities will place it alongside other NVIDIA-powered mobile PCs. Initial rumors placed the product's price tag at under $1,000, but it seems that the actual tag will be far lower than expected. The actual base price was exposed, at no more than $799.
Naturally, the notion of a gaming netbook sounds rather novel and consumers will likely be able to find a myriad of reasons why the Alienware M11x does or does not fall under this category. One thing that is unclear is what type of processor will be used. Still, considering that the company implied that the laptop's gaming power would rival that of 15-inch notebooks (statement enforced by the NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M switchable graphics), it becomes quite possible that the chip is, instead of a Pineview, a reasonably powerful but energy efficient dual-core one.
At CES, Dell stated that, under regular running conditions, the Alienware M11x would have a battery life of up to 6.5 hours, with "over 2 hours" in gaming mode. Other known specifications include the rather mainstream Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi, HDMI and D-Sub outputs. The small gaming laptop is set to become available sometime during spring.